In birth, you preserved your virginity; in death, you did not abandon the world,
O Theotokos. As mother of life, you departed to the source of life, delivering
our souls from death by your intercessions. ...

Since it was
through the heart of love that sin entered into the world, it will be
through the heart of love that God effects salvation for the world. The
covenant of love and life lost through the "No" of Eve, the "mother of all
the living," will be restored in Christ through the "Yes" of Virgin Mary,
the Mother of the Redeemer. The Old Eve offered us fruit born from the tree
that lead to death; the New Eve brings forth the fruit of her womb who gives
us everlasting life. ...

We can achieve much in this life, and of course, God wants us to aim high. But
like Mary, we also have to recognize when God has given us something great, and
thank him for it. As Paul said: "What do you possess that you have not
received?" (1 Corinthians 4:7). The most precious of God's gifts, and the one
that is nothing but pure gift, is eternal life. At least once a day, we should
stop and think about the fact that Jesus died for each of us so that we could
live with him forever. ...

What does it really mean to be near the cross of Jesus? Perhaps the best thing
we can do is just talk to the people who were there. Let's interview Mary
Magdalene, Salome, the two Mary's and John and find out what it really means to
be near the cross of Jesus Christ. ...

Near the Cross.... It is a place of Redemption.. Just come to the cross by faith
and trust Him.
It is a place of Rebuke.. All of our pride and selfishness fades away as we
stand at the cross. It is a place of Reward: It is a place of Responsibility.
...

Another way to explain our devotion and love for Mary is that we are
imitating Jesus. We love, honor, respect and entrust ourselves to her care
because Jesus did all these things and we want to be just like Jesus.
Consider that the very Son of God, dwelled in Mary's womb, nursed at her
breasts, was held in her arms, sat on her lap and entrusted himself to her
care. Our Lord could have chosen to enter our world in other ways. Perhaps
He could simply have entered the world as a full grown man. The fact is that
He freely chose Mary to be his mother and he was truly her Son. As her son
he loved and honored her as any good son must and as her son he entrusted
himself to her care. All of this serves to highlight Mary's dignity and to
show us how devotion to her is in perfect imitation of Jesus himself....

We can't run
away from our responsibilities to our families. You can choose to stop being
friends with someone. But you can't choose to stop being related to someone.
That observation is tremendously important when it comes to how Christians
should think about the church. ...

Believe it or not, the things you think you know
about calcium might not be entirely accurate. Here, Thomas E. Levy, MD,
addresses eight myths about calcium that may be impacting your health - and
not in the way you'd hoped. ...

My Mom was my very best friend. Prior to her death, if I contemplated someone
telling me, "Your mother is dead," I was certain I'd go to pieces. Yet somehow,
I was OK. I felt an indescribable spiritual comfort; a deep and innate knowing
that Mom had not merely died, but had gone somewhere amazing. ...

Archbishop Athanasius Toma Dawod of the Syriac Orthodox church said that Isis's
capture of Qaraqosh, Iraq's largest Christian city, had marked a turning point
for Christians in the country.

"Now we consider it genocide – ethnic cleansing," he said. "They are killing our
people in the name of Allah and telling people that anyone who kills a Christian
will go straight to heaven: that is their message. They have burned churches;
they have burned very old books. They have damaged our crosses and statues of
the Virgin Mary. They are occupying our churches and converting them into
mosques." ...

Featured: The Dormition of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary

From: The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Synaxarion:

Concerning the Dormition of the Theotokos, this is what the Church has received
from ancient times from the tradition of the Fathers. When the time drew nigh
that our Savior was well-pleased to take His Mother to Himself, He declared unto
her through an Angel that three days hence, He would translate her from this
temporal life to eternity and bliss. On hearing this, she went up with haste to
the Mount of Olives, where she prayed continuously. Giving thanks to God, she
returned to her house and prepared whatever was necessary for her burial.

While these things were taking place, clouds caught up the Apostles from the
ends of the earth, where each one happened to be preaching, and brought them at
once to the house of the Mother of God, who informed them of the cause of their
sudden gathering. As a mother, she consoled them in their affliction as was
meet, and then raised her hands to Heaven and prayed for the peace of the world.
She blessed the Apostles, and, reclining upon her bed with seemliness, gave up
her all-holy spirit into the hands of her Son and God.

With reverence and many lights, and chanting burial hymns, the Apostles took up
that God-receiving body and brought it to the sepulchre, while the Angels from
Heaven chanted with them, and sent forth her who is higher than the Cherubim.
But one Jew, moved by malice, audaciously stretched forth his hand upon the bed
and immediately received from divine judgment the wages of his audacity. Those
daring hands were severed by an invisible blow. But when he repented and asked
forgiveness, his hands were restored.

When they had reached the place called Gethsemane, they buried there with honor
the all-immaculate body of the Theotokos, which was the source of Life. But on
the third day after the burial, when they were eating together, and raised up
the artos (bread) in Jesus' Name, as was their custom, the Theotokos appeared in
the air, saying "Rejoice" to them. From this they learned concerning the bodily
translation of the Theotokos into the Heavens.

These things has the Church received from the traditions of the Fathers, who
have composed many hymns out of reverence, to the glory of the Mother of our
God.

Apolytikion in the First Tone

In birth, you preserved your virginity; in death, you did not abandon the world,
O Theotokos. As mother of life, you departed to the source of life, delivering
our souls from death by your intercessions.

Kontakion in the Second Tone

Neither the grave nor death could contain the Theotokos, the unshakable hope,
ever vigilant in intercession and protection. As Mother of life, He who dwelt in
the ever-virginal womb transposed her to life.

From Eden to Eternity: A Homily on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

by Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers

Today's magnificent solemnity of the Assumption of Mary into heaven began back
in the Garden of Eden. In God's mind from all eternity, when He decided to
create beings made in His image and likeness, and fill them with the gift of His
life-giving love, it is within a woman's being--within her heart and soul--where
His love first established a foundation and home. The spirituality of a woman is
rooted in the fact that she is the heart of love and through her special and
unique relationship with the Holy Spirit (as one who gives life), a woman is
truly the example of what it means to be fully human.

Satan knew this. He realized that if the heart of love were destroyed, that if a
wedge were driven between the intimate communion of love and life, everything
else in creation would fall. So Satan approached the woman first, intent on
destroying her heart and introducing sin and death into the world.

The method of demise Satan employed in the Garden of Eden is the same method he
has used successfully century after century, and that he still uses to this day
to perpetuate a culture of death: subjective truth. God bestowed free will upon
the man and woman mindful of the fact that, in covenant relationship,
life-giving communion that is freely given must also be freely accepted and
reciprocated. Covenant relationship hinges upon our response to God's invitation
to love: a response of complete trust in and obedience to the absolute truth of
God's will. Satan lies to the woman convincing her that she need only trust in
herself, that truth is whatever she decides it to be ("the tree [not God's
truth!] was to be desired to make one wise") and, in deciding truth for herself,
she "will be like God, knowing good and evil." Hence, the woman, in rejecting
absolute truth, says "no" to God's invitation to covenant intimacy and the heart
of love is shattered ("she took of its fruit and ate") while her husband stood
by and did nothing.

Yet the God of Love, in His infinite mercy, does not leave us without hope. He
intervenes in human history, setting into motion a plan for man's redemption:
since it was through the heart of love that sin entered into the world, it will
be through the heart of love that God effects salvation for the world. The
covenant of love and life lost through the "No" of Eve, the "mother of all the
living," will be restored in Christ through the "Yes" of Virgin Mary, the Mother
of the Redeemer. The Old Eve offered us fruit born from the tree that lead to
death; the New Eve brings forth the fruit of her womb who gives us everlasting
life. Today we celebrate the fact that, because of the dignity of her motherhood
and her own personal submission to God's will at every stage of her life, the
Blessed Virgin Mary was assumed body and soul into heaven, which is the destiny
of all of us who die united with Christ her Son.

In the Gospel, we see Mary setting out with haste from Nazareth to a small town
in the hills of Judea, not far from Jerusalem to visit her older cousin,
Elizabeth. It is highly significant that it is Mary and Jesus who go to visit
Elizabeth and John. Already in the womb, Jesus is showing that urge to serve
rather than be served. And, at the presence of Jesus and his mother, the child
in Elizabeth's womb leaps for joy. Elizabeth is deeply moved that it is Jesus
and his Mother that come to her and John: "And why has this happened to me, that
the mother of my Lord comes to me?" And yet that is what is happening to each of
us all the time, especially in every celebration of the Holy Mass when the Lord
comes to us and fills our hearts with joy through his Word and in the Eucharist.

"Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be
fulfilled." Mary's faith and total trust in God was expressed in her fiat ('Let
it be done unto me'), when, even though not fully understanding what was being
asked of her, she unconditionally accepted to submit to God's plan.

Mary's greatness was not only in being chosen to be the mother of Jesus but also
in her total acceptance of that responsibility in faith and trust, accepting all
that it might entail. She had no idea the price she would have to pay to be the
mother of Jesus. But like her Son she had emptied herself in total service to
Him and today we celebrate her reward: her being raised to the highest place
among the human race.

"From this day forward all generations will call me blessed." This is not a
statement made in arrogance but in humble thanksgiving to God. She rejoices and
is deeply grateful for being chosen for this privilege. Her being chosen is
simply another sign of God's desire that the poor, the weak, and the exploited
of this world are to be the special recipients of God's love and care. Mary
expresses this in the last part of her Magnificat:

"He has shown strength with
His arm; He has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the
mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry
with good things; the rich He has sent away empty."

In this beautiful prayer, Mary foreshadows the mission of her Son who says those
who hunger and thirst for holiness will be satisfied and those who are rich in
arrogance have already received their reward.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus, the Son of God who died on the Cross
is the very first among the risen, seated at the right hand of His Father. He
is, in Paul's words, "the first fruits of those who have died . . . for as all
die in Adam, so all shall be brought to life in Christ, but each one in proper
order". Jesus is first of all but next in order surely comes his Mother. All of
us, as followers of Christ with His Blessed Mother, look forward to the day when
we too can share the glory of heaven with her. But for now, we ask her to
remember us as we continue our journey on earth and to intercede for us with her
Son that, like her, we may remain true to our call to holiness as faithful
disciples of Christ.

May we know God's will for us at all times and, like Mary, give our
unconditional "Yes" and allow God to work powerfully in our lives so that we may
be with Him forever in heaven.

About The Author:

Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers is the Founder and Director of Aurem Cordis, a
Christian evangelization and apologetics organization. He has been featured on
numerous radio and television programs including the Eternal Word Television
Network's "Life on the Rock", "EWTN Live" and hosts "Behold the Man," an EWTN
series on male spirituality. Deacon Burke-Sivers holds a Bachelor's degree in
Economics and Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame, and a
Master's degree in Theological Studies from the University of Dallas. He is a
Benedictine Oblate of Mt. Angel Abbey, an associate member of the Fellowship of
Catholic Scholars, a member of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy, and a
consultation team member for the National Conference of Catholic Bishops
National Directory for Catechesis. He and his wife Colleen have four children.

Source: Insight Scoop

The Assumption of Mary: Meditation On Luke 1:39-56

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord. (Luke 1:46)

Have you ever noticed how the world tries to convince us that nothing is ever
good enough? If we're unhappy at work, we should just leave and get another job.
Even if we like our jobs, we should still be searching for better opportunities.
If we're having problems with our marriage, we should simply call it a loss and
go look for another spouse - or a life partner.

The problem with this approach is that we will never find contentment. What
we're really looking for is something that can't be found on earth - perfection.

Mary certainly didn't find perfection. She had to endure her neighbors'
suspicions when her pregnancy began to show, and again when she had to give
birth to her child in a stable. She and Joseph certainly weren't the wealthiest
couple in Nazareth, and life must have been a challenge after Joseph died.

Yet from her words, we can see that Mary was as grateful as any human being ever
has been. That's because her gratitude was for the awesome work that God would
accomplish through her. By simply saying "yes" to God's plan, she could
participate in the salvation of the whole human race!

We can achieve much in this life, and of course, God wants us to aim high. But
like Mary, we also have to recognize when God has given us something great, and
thank him for it. As Paul said: "What do you possess that you have not
received?" (1 Corinthians 4:7). The most precious of God's gifts, and the one
that is nothing but pure gift, is eternal life. At least once a day, we should
stop and think about the fact that Jesus died for each of us so that we could
live with him forever.

Today, try to make Mary's words your own: "My spirit rejoices in God my savior."
If you are angry at someone, or if you are unhappy with your situation, or if
someone has hurt you recently, believe that Jesus is still with you, offering
you divine wisdom - and even more importantly, offering you a place in his
eternal kingdom. Ask him to give you his perspective on your situation - it is
sure to be a hopeful one!

"Lord, I put aside my worries, and I rejoice in you! I praise you for all that
you have done for me!"

Source: The Word Among Us

Behold Thy Son! and Behold Thy Mother!

By Dr. Howard Mills

Gospel: JOHN 19:25-27

INTRO:

John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for
his friends. Our Lord Jesus said that, He not only died for His friends, He also
died for His enemies....

Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in
that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, ... Jesus said, Woman behold thy
son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! (John 19:25-27)

If you and I had been in Jerusalem that Passover afternoon when Jesus was
crucified, I wonder how near the cross we would have stood. The four Roman
soldiers were there, but they were there because of duty. The four women were
there, with the Apostle John; but they were not there because of duty. They were
there out of devotion; they loved the Lord Jesus.

What does it really mean to be near the cross of Jesus? Perhaps the best thing
we can do is just talk to the people who were there. Let's interview Mary
Magdalene, Salome, the two Mary's and John and find out what it really means to
be near the cross of Jesus Christ.

I: A PLACE OF REDEMPTION:

Let's begin with Mary Magdalene, let's ask her "What does it mean to you?" I
think she would have answered, "The cross to me is a place of redemption.

Mary Magdalene is mentioned in Luke 8:2 as a woman out of whom Jesus had cast
seven demons. Mary Magdalene not only was at the cross, but also early on the
morning of the resurrection she came to Christ's tomb.

She had been possessed with seven demons. All who are unsaved are controlled by
demonic forces.. Ephes. 2:1-3 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in
trespasses and sins;

Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according
to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience: 3Among whom also we all had our conversation in times
past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the
mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. (Satan was at
work in Mary Magdalene's life, and then Jesus delivered her from those demonic
powers.)

When you trust the Lord Jesus Christ, these marvelous changes take place in your
life. You go from darkness to light.

You go from the power of Satan to the power of God. You go from guilt to
forgiveness. You go from poverty to wealth. This miracle of redemption is a
costly thing. When Jesus delivered Mary Magdalene from the power of the Wicked
One, it cost Him something. Jesus had to die that we might be redeemed. For me
to move out of the darkness into the light, He had to move from the light into
the darkness. For me to be delivered from Satan to God. Jesus had to be forsaken
by God.

For me to be delivered from guilt to forgiveness, Jesus had to be made sin for
me.

For Him to make me rich, He had to become the poorest of the poor.

NO WONDER Mary was standing there at the cross.

Can you say, "I have trusted Jesus Christ, and He has moved me from darkness to
light, from the power of Satan to the power of God, from the guilt of sin to
forgiveness, from poverty to an inheritance through faith in Him?"

Ask Him to save you, and then you can take your stand near the cross, a place of
redemption.

II: A PLACE OF REBUKE:

as the woman who came with her sons asking for thrones. (Matt: 20:20-28).

They had heard Him say that the apostles were going to judge the 12 tribes of
Israel, that they were going to sit on thrones; and they wanted to be sure they
had good seats! Jesus ask them, "Are you able to drink the cup I'm going to
drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism I'm going to experience?"
They said Yes we are... James was the first of the apostles to be martyred.

John was the last of the apostles to die, and he went through great persecution
and suffering before he was called home.

Salome would say the cross to me is a place of rebuke. I stand here rebuked
because I was so selfish.

She might well be ashamed of herself-- As all of us should be when we pray
selfishly! ( I want something for my sons; I don't care what it costs. I want
It!)

We need to all remember "there is no crown without a cross.. Even our Lord Jesus
Christ Himself did not return to the throne except by way of the cross. God will
answer prayer, but we must be sure we can pay the price..... Are you willing to
be baptized with the baptism of suffering.. Are you willing to drink the cup?
(Maybe God is rebuking our selfishness, pride and desire for glory without
suffering as we stand at the cross.)

III: A PLACE OF REWARD:

Mary the mother of our Lord Jesus, "What does it mean for you to be near the
cross?" She might say, it is the place of reward.

We find Mary at the beginning of the Gospel of John and at the end of the Gospel
of John. We find her in John 2 and in John 19. In John 2, Mary is attending a
wedding and is involved in the joys of a feast. In John 19 she is involved in
the sorrows of a funeral. In John 2 we find Mary speaking, but in John 19 Mary
is silent.

Do you know why she kept quiet? She could not lie. As she stood there by the
cross, her silence was testimony that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. If Jesus
Christ were not what He claimed to be, Mary could have saved Him.

Jesus did not ignore her but rewarded her by sharing His beloved disciple with
her. She was honored.

At the cross, Mary suffered because He died. She suffered because of the way He
died-- on a cross numbered with the transgressors. She suffered because of where
He died-- in public. But Jesus saw her, and Jesus assured her of His love. He
said Woman, Behold thy son! He was establishing a new relationship. He was going
back to heaven and now they would have a new relationship... But He gave her
someone to look after her.

The longest will ever probated was made up of four volumes. There was 95,940
words in it! The shortest will on record is recorded in Great Britain, and it
has only three words to it: "All for Mother." Jesus did not have any earthly
possessions to give to anybody, The soldiers had gambled for his clothes and had
taken them away. What could He give Mary? He gave John to Mary. (God will reward
all His Children) Most of all those who suffer.... Amen.

IV: A PLACE OF RESPONSIBILITY:

John, what does the cross mean to you? A place of responsibility. John had
forsaken Him and fled. All the disciples had done this. The Shepherd had been
smitten and the sheep had scattered. But John came back to the cross. That was
not the safest place to stand or the easiest place to stand. I have watched
people die, but not in that kind of a situation. It took courage and love for
John to come back.. But the Lord restored him.. Then John later wrote....If we
confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.. (I John 1:9).

Jesus not only restored John, but He also honored him. He told John you are
going to take my place. I will no longer be on earth to watch over My earthly
mother, Mary, so you are going to take My place. You know what... All of us are
taking His place... He said in John 20:21-- As my Father hath sent me, even so
send I you.. We represent Jesus Christ to others. John was to love Mary for
Christ, we are to love others for Christ.

Near the Cross.... It is a place of Redemption.. Just come to the cross by faith
and trust Him.
It is a place of Rebuke.. All of our pride and selfishness fades away as we
stand at the cross. It is a place of Reward: It is a place of Responsibility.

Why Don't You Honor Mary?

by Msgr. Charles Pope, Archdiocese of Washington

Most of us who are Catholics (and Orthodox) eventually get asked, "Why do you
worship Mary?" More often than not, the question is not a real question it is a
rhetorical question. For a few of you who might not know what is meant by the
expression "rhetorical question," it refers to a "question" whose purpose is not
to seek an answer, but, rather, to make a (usually hostile) point. For example,
the expression "Who do you think you are!?" is in the form of a question but it
does not seek an answer. Instead it is meant as a rebuke. And so it usually is
when we are asked the question "Why do you worship Mary?", we're
usually aware that it is not a sincere question seeking a sincere answer.
However, for those cases where an answer really is sought, I might propose the
following approach:

"Well, of course we don't worship Mary since that would be a terrible sin.
Worship belongs to God alone. We DO honor her though. After all, she is Jesus'
mother. But let me ask you a question. Why in your church, do you NOT honor Mary
at all? Doesn't scripture say, Every generation will call [Mary] blessed because
God who is mighty has done great things for [her]? (Luke 1:48-49) It seems to me
that we are fulfilling scripture but that in your denomination you are not
fulfilling or following it. So why don't you honor her at all? Why don't you
call her blessed as the Bible says?"

Now stop there and wait for an answer. Don't keep going. Just stop and wait.
Have them answer for a change. We are always on the defensive, always in answer
mode. But we ought to ask a few questions too. And try to avoid a merely
rhetorical or hostile tone. Try to allow this question to be genuine,
respectful, one meant to provoke thought. It is possible that many Protestants
have never been asked this question or pondered an answer.

Now it is also possible that your interlocutor will try to change the subject or
evade an answer by piling on about Catholics/Orthodox; but just repeat the
question respectfully and ask for an answer. Remember your point is not to
argue, be hostile or win an argument. Your point is to provoke thought and get a
real answer. And even if the conversation ends badly or with no answer, you've
planted a seed, a question that they will ponder even if they don't admit it.
Jesus often asked questions to provoke thought and conversion.

A final thought on Mary. Another way to explain our devotion and love for Mary
is that we are imitating Jesus. We love, honor, respect and entrust ourselves to
her care because Jesus did all these things and we want to be just like Jesus.
Consider that the very Son of God, dwelled in Mary's womb, nursed at her
breasts, was held in her arms, sat on her lap and entrusted himself to her care.
Our Lord could have chosen to enter our world in other ways. Perhaps He could
simply have entered the world as a full grown man. The fact is that He freely
chose Mary to be his mother and he was truly her Son. As her son he loved and
honored her as any good son must and as her son he entrusted himself to her
care. All of this serves to highlight Mary's dignity and to show us how devotion
to her is in perfect imitation of Jesus himself.

What more need we say? Jesus, our Lord and God, honors and loves Mary, and his
very scriptures sing her praises; so too His Angel Gabriel and countless saints.
When we honor Mary we imitate the very Son of God and fulfill Holy Scripture.
Certainly our Lord is pleased that we love and honor his mother.

You Can't Pick Your Family

by Jon Pentecost

There's a line in To Kill a Mocking Bird; "You can choose your friends, but you sho' can't choose your family."

The point being, we can't run away from our responsibilities to our families.
You can choose to stop being friends with someone. But you can't choose to stop
being related to someone. That observation is tremendously important when it
comes to how Christians should think about the church.

It's important because the church is a family. That's not just a sentimental way
of describing how much you love your local church. It is a profound, radical
truth that changes everything.

When told that his mother and brothers were asking for him, Jesus responded by
saying "whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister
and mother" (Matt 12:50). In Matthew 17, Jesus teaches Peter that neither he nor
Peter is required to pay the temple tax, because they are sons of the King.

For believers in Jesus Christ, our identity as his brothers and sisters is the
core reality. The fact that we are now made sons of God (John 1:12) should be
the primary lens through which we view the world.

What does that mean? It means you and your church should act like a family. A
family is invested in its wellbeing as a whole. People are applauded when they
make personal sacrifices for the sake of the family. Children are called to
serve and honor their elders. Perhaps at the most basic level, it means you are
called to work for unity with other Christians.

When Jesus warned his disciples not to be like the Pharisees, who are always
puffing themselves up and putting others down, he exhorts them to remember that
they all only have one Father, who is in heaven (Matt 23:8-10). This doesn't
mean that Christians should deny the existence of any earthly father that they
have. What it does mean is that Christians should remember which family their
highest allegiance belongs to.

The unity of the church does not happen magically. Just like unity in our
earthly families, it takes work. Loyalty to your family is a commitment which is
often strained by reality. Just like in your earthly family, there will be
people in your church whom you don't particularly care for. There will be people
who are hard to be around.

The solution is not to leave and find a church where everyone gets along
swimmingly. Local churches that are united are not united because people find it
convenient. They are united because of priests/pastors, deacons, and regular members who
work hard at unity, who work to bring the church together despite differences,
because of the overarching, primary, binding similarity: they have all been
bought by the blood of the Lamb.

An early critic of the young Christian faith named Lucian recognized that one
of the most dangerous components of Christianity was that our 'first teacher'
taught "that they are all brothers of one another." It was this fact that made
Christians so disturbingly and attractively different from the world around them
– they thought of each other as family.

The unity that we have in Christ is astonishing to the outside world. Why would
people who have little in common, who are from different nations, different
socio-economic backgrounds, and who even have different hobbies and interests do
the hard work of living life together? Why would someone from Arkansas love and
care for someone from China that they've only known for a few months? It's
because the ties between those two are tighter than the ties that bind even
biological family. The ties in the family of God are eternal, and eternally
precious.

The church is your family. If you're a Christian, you have the same heavenly
Father as any other Christian. So work to have unity with your brothers and
sisters. Build them up in their faith. Encourage them. Spur them on to
righteousness and good deeds.

Because as the family goes, so goes the members of that family. And you can't
choose your family.

About The Author:

Jon Pentecost serves on staff at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and
as a member at Third Avenue Baptist Church in Louisville, KY. He holds an M.Div
from SBTS.

Source: Christianity.com Daily Update

Health Tip: Eight Common Misconceptions About Calcium That Are Impacting Your Health

Editor's Note: Believe it or not, the things you think you know about calcium might not be
entirely accurate. Here, Thomas E. Levy, MD, addresses eight myths about calcium
that may be impacting your health - and not in the way you'd hoped.

From childhood on, we've all heard it: "Drink your
milk." "Milk does a body good." "You never outgrow your need for milk." And most
of us have accepted these statements at face value. We know that calcium is
necessary in a host of bodily functions and that it builds strong bones and
teeth. So after each milk mustache, cup of yogurt, or calcium supplement, we
mentally pat ourselves on the back for helping stave off osteoporosis and
general physical deterioration. If some is good, more must be better. Right?

"Yes, calcium is essential for bodily function, but as is the case with many
otherwise-healthy substances, pumping too much of it into our bodies is
dangerous," says Dr. Levy, author of 'Death by Calcium: Proof of the Toxic
Effects of Dairy and Calcium Supplements' (MedFox Publishing, 2013). "Believe it
or not, most of the adult population has no need for significant calcium intake,
and that need rapidly decreases with age."

"Understandably, most people are shocked to hear this," Dr. Levy concedes. "Due
to decades of convincing campaigns and marketing ploys, millions have embraced
the ‘the more milk, the better' myth and other related misconceptions."

In his book, Dr. Levy presents compelling scientific evidence that
systematically debunks much of what Western society believes about calcium. The
book explains why calcium is dangerous in excess quantities, why limiting it
promotes health, and provides strategies to help readers begin to get their
calcium levels in balance.

Misconception 1: Calcium is good for you. There's a reason why no one questions
the popular wisdom that calcium is good for you: It seems completely plausible.
After all, aren't bones largely composed of calcium? Isn't osteoporosis a
calcium deficiency of the bone? It makes sense that drinking milk or downing
calcium tablets will fix the problem!

"What people don't realize is that while osteoporosis involves a lack of calcium
in the bones, it does not mean that there is a calcium deficiency in the rest of
the body or in the patient's diet (more on that later!)," explains Dr. Levy.
"And moving on from osteoporosis, excess calcium promotes a host of other health
problems including heart attacks, strokes, cancer, and virtually all chronic
diseases. In fact, it increases all-cause mortality by 250 percent.

"The bottom line is, there is no concrete evidence to support that calcium
delivers any real health benefits - quite the opposite!" he adds.

Misconception 2: You need to eat dairy products to get enough calcium. If the
government's recommended daily allowance (RDA) of calcium - between 1,000 to
1,300 mg per day for most adults - were correct, loading your diet with dairy
products would be an easy way to reach that goal. However, says Dr. Levy, not
only is the government's RDA far too high, the idea that you need dairy to get
"enough" calcium is false.

"Cultures that drink little to no milk have a much lower incidence of
osteoporosis than Americans," he shares. "Actually, the average person's need
for calcium is more than adequately met with a diet that includes meat, eggs,
and vegetables. If you want to consume dairy, that's your choice - but don't do
so believing that avoiding these products will result in an inadequate intake of
calcium."

Misconception 3: If you have osteoporosis, you have a calcium deficiency. This
statement isn't entirely incorrect: If you have osteoporosis, you do have a
calcium deficiency - in your bones. Because of this fact, many physicians and
their patients believe that the entire body must be depleted of calcium as well.
But that's a dangerous assumption. Throughout the rest of your body, it's
actually likely that you have an excess of calcium.

"The problem with osteoporosis is that the body is unable to synthesize a new
structural bone matrix and integrate calcium into it - an issue that more
calcium doesn't even begin to fix!" explains Dr. Levy. "In fact, much of the
calcium leached from the bones simply moves to other parts of the body, where it
does you harm. It's both ironic and sad that because of this fundamental
misunderstanding, so many motivated, health-conscious people are sabotaging
their health in an effort to improve it."

Misconception 4: Calcium supplements will help prevent broken bones. Yes, there
are studies that indicate that calcium supplementation is effective in
decreasing the incidence of fractures in osteoporosis patients. But if you look
more closely, says Dr. Levy, you'll uncover more questions than answers.
Notably, most positive studies also included 800 or more units of vitamin D as a
"co-supplement." Vitamin D, by itself, will decrease the chances of osteoporotic
fracture. And that's not all.

"In some trials the number of subjects was very small, in others the duration
was short, and in still others patient and observer bias wasn't tempered by
double-blind placebo control," he comments. "Plus, some studies relied on the
accuracy of the subject's self-observation and memory, which is questionable.
Could you accurately remember how much calcium you've taken over the past ten
years (or even one year)? On the other hand, in my book, I cite numerous studies
that collectively provide more than enough data to conclude: Calcium
supplementation does not prevent bone fractures.

"Remember, it's easy for various individuals and organizations to pick and
choose the study results they'd like the public to believe, knowing that most
people will take that information at face value," he adds.

Misconception 5: Increased bone density means stronger bones. Let's say that you
have a rotting wooden fence bordering your yard. If you paint it with a new coat
of bright white paint, it will look better, but the "fix" is only cosmetic - the
fence's underlying structure is still continuing to deteriorate. That's
essentially what happens when you use calcium supplements to treat bone density.
Your bone density test score may well improve a bit with calcium
supplementation, but this is not associated with stronger bones or a decreased
risk of fracture.

"When you treat a disease like osteoporosis with increased calcium, the density
can legitimately increase, but the quality of the bone itself doesn't improve
unless other important factors are addressed," explains Dr. Levy. "The
structural matrix of the bone still isn't normal and has no greater resistance
to fracture than the diseased bone before the new calcium deposition."

Misconception 6: When you have osteoporosis, the biggest danger is breaking a
bone. There's no disputing that when a person with osteoporosis fractures a bone,
it's serious business. These fractures often cause incapacitation and other
complications that may lead to death. But would you say that sustaining a
fracture is more serious than suffering (or even dying) from a heart attack,
stroke, or cancer? These are often the unrecognized consequences of
osteoporosis.

"A groundbreaking study made it very clear that a fracture is not the major
concern for a majority of osteoporosis patients," says Dr. Levy. "It found that
in nearly 10,000 postmenopausal women, there was a 60 percent increase in the
risk of death for individuals in the lowest quintile of bone density compared to
those in the highest quintile. And most of those deaths did not relate to a
fracture.

"The likely reason is straightforward: The more advanced the osteoporosis, the
more calcium has been released from the bones over time," he explains. "This
release literally showers all of the other tissues and organs in the body with a
chronic excess of calcium - which, as I've already pointed out, is extremely
detrimental to your health. There are many other studies that also support the
conclusion that one of the biggest dangers of osteoporosis is the fact that it
promotes and worsens so many other chronic diseases."

Misconception 7: Vitamin D just serves to increase calcium absorption. Vitamin D
plays an essential role in regulating and modulating calcium absorption and
metabolism via its interactions with the bones, gut, and kidneys. But despite
data that has been accumulating since the 1980s regarding the many other roles
vitamin D plays, many doctors still approach it as being "only" another way to
supplement calcium.

"Vitamin D plays a role in the metabolism of virtually all cells in the body and
is known to have a direct effect on around 200 genes, so it's very important,"
Dr. Levy shares. "However, I strongly caution you not to seek out vitamin D in
foods with high calcium content, since vitamin D facilitates and even
‘overdoses' calcium absorption - which, as we've already covered, is not
desirable."

Misconception 8: You get all the vitamin D you need from the sun. This statement
would be true if you spent a minimum of 30 to 60 minutes a day in the sun with
enough skin area exposed, in a part of the world fairly close to the equator.
But let's be honest: For most of us, that's just not going to happen.

"The modern way of living is very effective in shielding people from the sun so
completely that even a large percentage of individuals who live in tropical
climates are chronically deficient in vitamin D," says Dr. Levy. "Therefore, for
nearly everyone on the planet, vitamin D supplementation is a must in order to
get its (bone) blood levels in the range that supports optimal bone health and
general health. Again, just avoid getting your vitamin D in foods that also
contain calcium!"

"A lot of fiction about calcium is currently accepted as fact," concludes Dr.
Levy. "But the bottom line is, raising calcium concentrations in your body is
not as beneficial as you probably believe, and is often dangerous. You need to
realize this, change your diet accordingly, and start taking steps now to
reverse the damage."

About the Author:

Thomas E. Levy, MD, JD, is the author of 'Death by Calcium: Proof of the Toxic
Effects of Dairy and Calcium Supplements.' He is a board-certified cardiologist
and is also the author ofPrimal Panacea and Curing the Incurable: Vitamin C,
Infectious Diseases, and Toxins; plus three other groundbreaking medical books.
He is one of the world's leading vitamin C experts and frequently lectures to
medical professionals all over the globe about the proper role of vitamin C and
antioxidants in the treatment of a host of medical conditions and diseases.
For more information, please visit www.deathbycalcium.com.

About the Book:
'Death by Calcium: Proof of the Toxic Effects of Dairy and Calcium Supplements'
(MedFox Publishing, 2013, ISBN: 978-0-615-88960-3, $29.95,
www.deathbycalcium.com) is available at www.deathbycalcium.com or Amazon.

Motherhood: Story of Two Mothers

by Linda Ryan

Whitney was a beautiful 8lbs, 3oz breech baby, delivered by C-Section. Babies
born this way are predisposed to hip dysplasia, a condition wherein the hip
socket is not completely formed. My (now ex-) husband was a physician and I am a
nurse at the hospital where Whitney was born, so we felt confident in receiving
the best medical treatment available. Thankfully, all the experts agreed there
was no hip dysplasia.

Whitney's birth brought profound joy AND profound disorder to my life. The
things I had come to take for granted - like sleeping, eating,
showering - vanished overnight. During those first three months of motherhood, I
was a hot mess! My saving grace was having my own mother not only show me the
ropes, but also reassure me I was doing great. We'd always been close, but never
did I feel more appreciation for my Mom than during those first few months.

The three-month mark of motherhood coincided with Father's Day and as we enjoyed
a family barbecue, I remember thinking, "I'm starting to get the hang of this
motherhood thing!" As I basked in the welcome glow of that normalcy, I was
abruptly jolted into a new reality as I heard the most terrifying scream,
followed by ba-boom, ba-boom, ba-boom, THUD! I sprinted to the staircase, to
witness my husband flat on his back, and sweet, fragile, 3-month old Whitney
lying motionless on the floor. I froze in terror! Whitney was not moving or
crying and my husband was shrieking "Oh My GOD! I dropped the baby!!!"

I quickly scooped her up and held her very close. After a few moments, she began
to cry inconsolably; a cry that days ago would have tortured my soul, but at
that moment was music to my ears.

We whisked Whitney to the hospital where x-rays confirmed a broken right femur
and a very slight hip dysplasia, which had been ruled out after birth. In the
first of several ironies, the fall down the stairs was a blessing in disguise.
If the dysplasia weren't detected until later in her life, she would require
surgery. The worst she would endure now was a little leg cast. Right? Wrong!

Just days after concluding, "I can do this motherhood thing," my mindset melted
into gut-wrenching drama. Our stay in the hospital was five days, wherein
Whitney's little leg was suspended in traction. I never left her room and much
of my time was spent watching helplessly, unable to hold and nurture her,
contorting my body to breastfeed while standing next to her crib. On the 5th
day, Whitney was placed in a full body cast, from her armpits to her toes and we
were free to leave.

Finally home, the situation was significantly better, although it felt as new as
when we brought her home after birth. She couldn't fit in a car seat, due to her
new "tree-trunk" physique and none of her newborn clothing fit. During this
traumatic time, my Mom stepped up again and demonstrated motherhood in a big
way. The appreciation I'd always felt for her began to escalate tenfold.

With my husband working 50+ hours a week, he couldn't help much with Whitney. So
for the next three months, my Mom moved in with us. She stayed from Monday until
Friday, returning to Dad on weekends. In many ways, those were the best three
months of my life. After living away from home for many years, it was quite
unique to be living with my Mom again and she and I connected as never before.
She helped me see that motherhood was not something to fear, but rather a
privilege to embrace and enjoy. When I was tired she'd say, "go take a nap!"
When I needed time with my friends, she'd say, "go out, enjoy yourself." And
every afternoon at 1:00 we'd make a pot of coffee and watch our favorite soap,
As the World Turns.

After three long months, Whitney's cast was finally removed. It was such a joy
to hold her again and do all the things I had taken for granted before the fall:
touching her skin, wiping her little butt, and blowing raspberries on her belly.
I had my normal baby back; a baby who could fit in a car seat and wear regular
clothes. Life was good again!

Mom moved back with Dad full-time, as there was no need for her to stay. I
remember hugging her goodbye the day she left saying, "I don't know how I can
ever thank you for all your help." And her reply..."oh honey, the pleasure was
all mine!"

Just two short weeks later, the phone rang. It was my Dad, who said, "Mommy
feels like she's having a heart attack."

I told my Dad to call an ambulance right away and we would meet him at the
hospital. As soon as I saw the doctor's face, I knew; I'd seen the look before.
Mom was only 63 years old when she died that day.

My Mom was my very best friend. Prior to her death, if I contemplated someone
telling me, "Your mother is dead," I was certain I'd go to pieces. Yet somehow,
I was OK. I felt an indescribable spiritual comfort; a deep and innate knowing
that Mom had not merely died, but had gone somewhere amazing.

Friends and family were so concerned about me, the youngest (and favorite!) of
her three children. Everyone knew how close we were and worried I would fall
apart. I kept saying, "I don't think it's 'hit me' yet," because I never did
fall apart, as I would have expected. I had a sense of peace and gratitude about
the whole experience that overrode the grief. I became fervently aware that life
does not end when the physical body dies and that is, perhaps the greatest gift
I've ever received.

I've always been a spiritual person, but never to the degree I experienced when
Mom died. Even in death, she teaches me lessons of life and love. Today, 27
years later. I feel endless appreciation for the incredible string of
circumstances that began with my husband dropping our baby (allowing me to spend
the last three months of Mom's life living with her) and culminated with my last
phone call with Mom (a conversation I would have missed if I'd told Dad to hang
up and call 911); a moment when she managed, through her pain, to say the final
words she would ever speak to me: "I love you Lin....."

About The Author:

Linda Ryan is an Intensive Care Nurse turned Personal Coach. Her expertise is
helping you understand how powerful your thoughts and feelings are, when it
comes to creating the life or business you want. She is the author of 'The Law of
Attraction is B.S. (Basically Simple)'.

Isis's persecution of Iraqi Christians, which has already forced tens of
thousands of men, women and children to flee for their lives, is fast becoming a
genocide, religious leaders have warned.

Archbishop Athanasius Toma Dawod of the Syriac Orthodox church said that Isis's
capture of Qaraqosh, Iraq's largest Christian city, had marked a turning point
for Christians in the country.

"Now we consider it genocide – ethnic cleansing," he said. "They are killing our
people in the name of Allah and telling people that anyone who kills a Christian
will go straight to heaven: that is their message. They have burned churches;
they have burned very old books. They have damaged our crosses and statues of
the Virgin Mary. They are occupying our churches and converting them into
mosques."

The archbishop, who leads the Syriac Orthodox church in the UK, urged the UK
government to open the country's doors to those fleeing the violence. "We are
dying, 100%," he said. "The British government needs to help people and to give
them asylum. If they stay here, they will be killed."

His pleas were echoed by Patriarch Louis Sako, the Iraq-based leader of the
Chaldean Catholic church, who said that about 100,000 Christians had abandoned
their villages in the Nineveh plains earlier this week after Isis launched
mortar attacks. He asked the EU and the UN to help them before it was too late.

"They fled their villages and houses [with] nothing but … the clothes on their
backs," he said in a statement to the charity Aid to the Church in Need. "[It
is] an exodus, a real via crucis; Christians are walking on foot in Iraq's
searing summer heat towards the Kurdish cities of Irbil, Duhok and Soulaymiyia,
the sick, the elderly, infants and pregnant women among them. They are facing a
human catastrophe and risk a real genocide."

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the leader of Roman Catholics in England and Wales,
described Isis's treatment of Christian, Yazidi and other communities as "a
persecution of immense proportions" and urged the UK government to act.

The archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, also called on the UK to follow
other European governments by helping to protect Iraq's Christians and other
minorities.

"It is extremely important that aid efforts are supported and that those who
have been displaced are able to find safety," he said.

"I believe that, like France, the UK's doors should be open to refugees, as they
have been throughout history."

However, Wilson Jaso, president of the UK Assyrian Society, was deeply
pessimistic about the international community's slow response to the
persecution.

"If we're not protected soon, there'll be none of us left in the country – which
is our country – and no churches," he said.

"Obama has to act, as simple as that. The problem is that the Christians don't
have oil. If we had oil, everyone would protect us."Urgent appeals for help also
came from the leader of the Syrian Kurdish party whose fighters are resisting
jihadist attacks in northern Iraq.

Saleh Mohamed, co-president of the Democratic Union party who is in London for
meetings this week, said the DUP was "begging for any kind of support from
anyone who can help us".

Syrian Kurdish fighters, who control the north-east of the country, have sent
units across the border into neighbouring Iraq where they are supporting tens of
thousands of refugees from the Yazidi minority community who have fled into the
mountains near Sinjar.

The military wing of the Syrian Kurds, the Peoples Protection Units, had crossed
over, Mohamed said, to help local Kurdish peshmerga fighters in Iraq who are
facing Isis jihadists.

"These people want to change everything back to the way it was 1,500 years ago,"
he said. "We knew it was dangerous for Sinjar and the Yazidis. Isis fighters
view them as unbelievers but the Kurdish regional government [in Irbil] withdrew
their forces."

He said his party had warned the US and the UK six months ago that Isis was
planning attacks. "No one took us seriously. [But] now the jihadists have
advanced weapons and money, they can do what they want on their own."

Things had reached such a critical point that his organisation was know seeking
support from anyone who was willing to step in, he said. "Without political
conditions, we will accept help from anyone if they have an interest in
defending freedom and humanitarian values. We have asked the Foreign Office in
London for help."

Save the Children described the speed of the displacement caused by the Isis
advance as unprecedented, adding that thousands of families had entered the
Kurdistan region of Iraq from Qaraqosh in the last 48 hours. That exodus came
days after almost 200,000 people fled Sinjar. According to the charity, 1.2
million Iraqis have been displaced in the past two months since the fighting
began, placing the humanitarian relief effort under huge pressure.

"I have never known such a rapid moment of displacement," said its Iraq country
director, Tina Yu. "We're seeing children and families who've fled their homes,
often in the middle of the night, fearing for their lives and with nothing but
the clothes on their backs.

"When they find somewhere safe to shelter they often don't have the means to buy
basic necessities like food and medicine, and they don't know if their lives
will ever be the same again."

Source: The Guardian, 8 August 2014

About Malankara World

With over 6000 articles and hundreds of
links to outside resources covering all aspects
of Syriac Orthodoxy that are of interest to Family, Malankara World is the
premier source for information for Malankara Diaspora. In addition to articles on
spirituality, faith, sacraments, sermons, devotionals, etc., Malankara World also
has many general interest articles, health tips, Food and Cooking, Virtual Travel,
and Family Specific articles. Please visit
Malankara World by clicking here or cut and paste the link on your browser:
http://www.MalankaraWorld.com/Library/default.htm